What Lands You in a Hospital Today?

More than 34 million Americans are discharged from hospitals each year. The five most common reasons are pregnancy/childbirth, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and osteoarthritis. While some reasons for hospital care remain fairly constant, hospitals are using technology to improve the patient experience.

Medical Records Go Digital

Hospitals are gradually shifting from paper to electronic medical records to minimize errors, comply with regulations, and enable scattered care providers to share data. Record systems can vary widely. They commonly allow doctors to write prescriptions online, access test results, and view medical images. However, many hospital systems are not yet fully integrated with physician offices.

Robotic Surgery

Robots will never replace actual human surgeons. But these devices can move with great precision and hold instruments steady for long periods. Surgeons guide the robotic "hands" from the same room or from a remote location. Surgeries using the help of robotic systems include hip replacement, reversal of tubal ligations, removal of prostate, gallbladder, or kidney, kidney transplant, and many gastrointestinal procedures.

Smart Design Matters

The hospital environment itself can affect patient outcomes. Some designs are intended to incorporate new technology. Better air filtration and strategically located sinks help reduce infection risk. Noise control improves sleep and recovery, especially for children. Music, access to sunlight, and views of nature can also enhance the stay of some patients. Such improvements lead to more staff satisfaction as well.

Welcoming Families

Some hospitals are moving away from semi-private rooms and strict limits on visitors in favor of family-friendly designs and policies. New designs might include more private rooms to encourage family members to stay overnight.

The Rise of 'Rooming In'

A generation ago, newborns were whisked away to nurseries while moms recovered elsewhere. Later, hospitals sent families home with bottles of formula. Now, labor, delivery, and recovery often occur in the same space, with mothers and infants staying together and benefiting from skin-to-skin contact. Breast milk is best for babies, unless the mother has a specific medical reason not to breastfeed. Experts say "rooming in" encourages this natural process.

Connecting Rural Hospitals

Modern technology is transforming the rural hospital experience. Robots can help specialists rapidly diagnose stroke cases and consult on treatment in multiple far-flung hospital locations. Unlike the usual video conferencing, robots can approach the bedside along with the attending physician. Similar technology is emerging in cancer and other highly specialized fields.

Preventing Medication Errors

Hospitals can employ several methods to make sure the right medicine reaches the right patient. These include computerized medication orders rather than handwritten notes, "smart" IV pumps that alert nurses to unsafe dose levels, and computer-controlled storage cabinets that use barcode scanning and other safety features.

Safety Awareness

When performing complex procedures, even experienced hospital staffs can miss a step. However, some hospitals are adapting methods used in aviation and the military to improve patient safety. "Situation awareness" training -- knowing what's going on with patients at all times -- is helping staff avoid complications and reduce infection rates. Growing use of checklists and time-outs for final verification before the start of surgery reduces errors, too.

Fighting Infections

Hospitals are places of healing. Yet about 99,000 patients are estimated to die each year from dangerous infections picked up during their stays. These include infections of the bloodstream, urinary tract, and surgical sites. The good news: Some hospital-acquired infection rates are dropping, like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which declined 28% from 2005 to 2008. The reasons for the drop include increased vigilance, improved hand-washing hygiene, and other MRSA-prevention steps.

Battling Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

At least 50,000 patients a year die from pulmonary embolism, a dangerous condition where blood clots, most often in the legs, travel to the lungs, where they cut off blood flow. Risk factors for DVT include recent surgery and bed rest, common for hospital patients. Hospitals are reducing this complication through faster treatment and anti-clot medications before surgery, and by urging patients to move around after surgery. Screening tools, compression stockings, and other devices also help.

Specialty Hospitals Offer Options

By concentrating on a single field, such as heart or spine surgery, specialty hospitals often feature the very latest resources for their work. More focused care also can mean quality care at lower costs.

Hospital Food Gets Healthier

Traditional hospital menus can be laden with high-fat comfort foods. Some medical centers have even invited fast-food franchises to set up shop on hospital premises. Today's hospitals are better positioned as models of healthy eating for patients and employees. Heart-healthy, diabetes-friendly, and vegetarian selections are increasingly common. Some hospitals also promote organic, fair-trade, and locally produced foods.

Patient Advocates Can Help

Consumer groups often say your hospital stay will be smoother and safer if another person is there to watch out for you and ask questions on your behalf. Some families designate relatives or close friends to serve as patient advocates.

Strengths of a Patient Advocate

Advocates should be able to help you manage your care, ask questions, express concerns on your behalf, and research and keep track of your treatment options and medicines. Advocates are most helpful when they raise concerns with a healthy dose of kindness and respect. Some families hire professional patient advocates. Sometimes hospitals have patient advocates on staff.

Hospital Quality Goes Public

Some organizations make hospital information public so you can check out the hospitals' quality. You can find hospital information in several ways, including The Joint Commission's "Quality Check" program, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' "Hospital Compare" tool, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Some states also offer hospital quality web sites.

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